BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — Students at Harper Creek Community Schools won’t return to classes on Tuesday because of an issue with mold.
The mold was first found on Wednesday. School officials say there was a visible growth on carpet inside a classroom at Harper Creek Middle School. That carpet was cleaned and sanitized that afternoon.
On Thursday, two more classrooms at the school had visible mold growing on carpets. Both were sanitized and cleaned as well.
On Friday, mold samples from those rooms were tested. Those samples showed two of the three rooms with high levels of the Pen/Asp spore group, two of the most common groups of mold found inside and outside.
No stachybotrys mold was present in any of the samples.
The school district hired specialists to remove the affected carpet and clean the rooms which is expected to be completed sometime Saturday. Additional samples will also be taken that day in each wing of the school. Results are expected on Tuesday.
Experts did not recommend closing the middle school, but the district said it will remain closed until results show a safe environment.
The decision to close all schools in the district was made in order to give students a uniform start to the school year.
